Digital Hub Returns to the Airwaves

By Emma Kelly | March 15, 2010.

Digital Hub 94.3 FM is returning to the airwaves this April after a four month break.

The community radio station, which is housed in the Digital Hub in the heart of the Liberties, has been off the air since December but will begin broadcasting again every Friday from the 30th of April. The station was scheduled to relaunch this March but have been delayed due to budget reasons.

The station was created by local people from inner city Dublin, who were trained in the Digital Hub on Crane Street.

“It’s a community radio station but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be professional as well,” said Joanie White, who has been producer at the station for a year and a half. “We want to produce professional radio shows which are focused on local events and news, but are at a national standard.”

Digital Hub FM produces up to 100 shows annually, including the popular breakfast show “What’s the Story”, presented by Tommy Coombe.

“The breakfast show runs from 8 to 10 am and features national as well as local news, and will include the local events calendar,” explained Joanie.

When the station returns, they will have an impressive guest list, with interviews with journalists Vincent Browne and Joe Duffy lined up. It will also feature a series of shows about men’s health, which will try to encourage men to get regular check-ups.

The Digital Hub was established in 2003 by the government “Digital Hub Development Agency” initiative, to focus on digital content and technology enterprises. The station began in 2005, and started an introductory training programme.

“We have had about 150 participants in our training programme,” said Paul Dunne, the station manager. “They range from children aged seven to people in their seventies. We also have had programmes for the visually impaired, and are helped by the National Council for the Blind.”

Schools from the inner city have participated in the radio station and its training programmes, as well as local community activists.

Although the station is currently suffering from budget problems, it receives funding from several sources.

“In the early days, we got our funding from the Liberties Learning Initiative,” explained Paul. “Nowadays, we get funding from different places, such as the Liberties College and the different Dublin Institutes of Technology, as well as private sponsors.”

To contact the studio, call or text 087 943 3100. You can listen to Digital Hub FM globally on www.digitalhubfm.com.